Orthopedic Horseshoes

Since 2008 I have the privilege of co-hosting with my good friend Alan Katerinsky, a sporadic podcast named "Orthopedic Horseshoes" which has the mission statement 'Cranky old men discourse on American media and society.' More recent shows are available on our host internet radio station, the outstanding 'ThinkTwice Radio' linked below. After that I have included some older shows that may be of interest. Left click to play, right click to download. They are formatted as MP3 mono.

Al is in the studio again this month, and Herb is in the field talking with Ed Greenwood at SFContario. Ed is a prolific fantasy novelist, and the creator of Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms. Ed and Herb talk about “Like a Virgin”; ‘The Man Who Would Be King’; “It’s all about entertaining people;” Joyce Carol Oates; how not to cut off your fingers with a bandsaw; sports metaphors in sex scenes; the writer as interior decorator, the editor as construction crew defending her walls; the irksomeness of unfinished series; Brother Cadfael; not dying well; Lin Carter as editor and pastiche writer; Terry Pratchett on witches and page-turning; see Lassie play a dog; Erle Stanley Gardner’s short stories; ‘Tristram Shandy’; the magic of kids losing themselves in reading; fiction as a way bypassing the IRB; ‘Excaliber’; ‘Games of Thrones’; something small and noble; “I got to hold the magic in my hand. When do I get to do it again?” ‘The Princess Bride’; different nobilities in the Lord of the Rings; Donald E. Westlake’s Dortmunder books; and eternally appealing plot tropes including the satisfaction of watching irksome people who use words like irksome get their comeuppance.

Recorded by Herb Kauderer. Consider “liking” Orthopedic Horseshoes on FaceBook. Music by Mari McNeil.

======================Show #42 w/ Anne Bishop

February 2013: "HAVE THE WEREWOLVES ORDER OUT FOR PIZZA" (25:55)

Al is in the studio this month, and Herb interviews Anne Bishop at the Eericon SF convention held by the Buffalo Fantasy League. Anne is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen books of (mostly) dark fantasy. Herb and Anne talk about outlets for crankiness, vampires and werewolves and grizzlies, oh my! Anne talks about a world where humans are the minority, the wolf and the vampire who ran a book shop, a world that's not your Buffalo, and its maps. Anne sets out some of the rules for a world where humans are meat, starting with "don't eat the help if they want to quit." Anne's upcoming works 'Written in Red' (a novel) and "A Strand in the Web" (a novella) in the anthology 'Stranded' are discussed, along with the unlikelihood of spaceships and unicorns. Herb asks if life is already on its second chance, and the effects of litigation on ebook sales. Howling as small group therapy is considered as well as electronic linking functions versus word of mouth. Herb notes the coolness of 'Predictably Irrational', and Anne stresses that it's all about the journey.

Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com. Consider “liking” Orthopedic Horseshoes on FaceBook. Music by Mari McNeil.

======================Show #41 w/ Lawrence Watt Evans

January 2013: REJECTOMANCY (30:52)

Alan Katerinsky interviews Lawrence Watt Evans at WSFA's CapClave SF convention. They talk about 'One-Eyed Jack', the body count of adventure stories, Ethshar, 'Split Heirs' (written with Esther Friesner), The Fall of the Sorcerers series, Scaramouche as Luke Skywalker, and how Boston driving is like killing the Deathstar. Then Lawrence and Al get literary and discuss Murray Leinster, secondary characters in 'Tomb of Dracula', Zelazny and the throw-away scene, an 8 year-old's birthday party, Russian Guns, Predator novels, subways in L.A., mocking 'Melrose Place', bad translations in comic books, war comics, 'Enemy Ace', the charm of 'Jonah Hex', rejectomancy, and the amateurishness of worrying about cliches instead of worrying about being boring.

Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com. Consider “liking” Orthopedic Horseshoes on FaceBook. Music by Mari McNeil.

Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com. Consider “liking” Orthopedic Horseshoes on FaceBook. Music by Mari McNeil.

======================Show #39 w: Julie E. Czernada

March 2011 (posted July 15, 2011): WHATEVER FEEDS YOU (29:54)

Herb and Al talk about attending a brand new SF convention named SF Contario in Toronto. At the con Al joined in the koffee klatsch hosted by Julie Czernada and recorded another facet of convention life for our listeners. In the klatsch Julie Czernada talks about being an editor for ‘Tesseracts’. Julie talks with Alan and other coffee klatschers about having panelist mojo with Peter Watts, science fiction in the class room, literacy in Nebraska, using the “e” word, learning curves, the tools to appreciate the science side of life, editing choke points, ‘Hidden in Sight’, being in the zone, the Esen books, ‘Rift in the Sky’, changing genres, changing names, J. M. Frey, ‘Search Image’, how much of her writing is research, stepping in manure, seven years a-writing, ‘Species Imperative’, Elvis stories, everybody’s everything, the Philip K. Dick Award, FaceBooking, the kindness of stealth re-introductions, and more.

Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer. Engineering help by Dan Gurzynski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com. Consider “liking” Orthopedic Horseshoes on FaceBook.

======================Show #38 w: Mike Resnick

February 2011: OUT FOR COFFEE WITH THE GUYS (29:03)

At last Astronomicon, Herb, Al, & Mike Resnick went out for coffee, and left the recorder on. The results were loud, libelous, and profane. After judicious editing to eliminate the libelous and profane, the result is the somewhat delayed February show as Herb tells of meeting Joe Haldeman by bidding against him in a charity auction. The guys talk about Talbot Mundy, John D. MacDonald, Tros of Samothrace, The Lost World, R. A. Lafferty, Virginia Kidd, Alfred Bester, Cordwainer Smith, the cause of the New Wave of SF, William Tenn, Robert Sheckley, Malzberg’s style, Riverworld, Phil Farmer, GURPS, ‘Dimensions of Sheckley’, Thaddeus Flint, ‘Sideshow’, ‘Tales of the Galactic Sideshow’, ‘The Elephant Man’, Frank Robinson, Robinson’s Hugo, Keith Laumer, ‘Louisiana Purchase’, changing sides of the aisle, Will McDermott, getting lost approaching Boston, Chicago’s Loop, Mike’s poetry career, Silky Sullivan, Iron Poet Haiku, pretension, poetry coming out of Al’s butt, and the nature of fans. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

The much delayed January show makes its debut with Herb & Alan discussing storytelling, and Al telling some stories with punchlines. The rest of the Storytelling panel from Confluence makes its appearance discussing the didactic nature of storytelling, ‘Everything Bad is Good for You’, ‘The Social Construction of Reality’, obeying society, refusing to wear the tutu, Arthur’s tooth hunt, the Sapir-Worf Hypothesis, who do we have the best insults for, the enabling function of language and story, the obligatory cute meetings of romantic comedy, questioning the obsolescence of poetry, bad poetry, the utility of poetry, Fritz Leiber’s ‘The Big Time’, dactylic hexameter, and “Evangeline”. As a special treat, Pete Grubbs plays a few impromptu tunes in the Confluence hospitality suite, including “From a Distance”, “Oh, My Arwen”, and “Antagonistic Anatomy”. Check out his new video “Waitin’ for the Change to Come” on YouTube. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

======================Show #36 w: Alan Irvine & John Alfred Taylor

12/31/10: HOW MUCH CREAM CHEESE DOES IT TAKE TO KILL A THIEF? (32:35)

Al & Herb actually present half discussion panel on Storytelling & Oral History recorded at the Confluence SF Convention outside Pittsburgh PA. Herb moderates as Alan Irvine and John Alfred Taylor discourse on the nature of story, and media of deliveries. The guys discuss Socrates, Ezra Pound, the recreation of stories, the mutability of media, “and then I died,” William Tenn, separating the words from the speaker, “Stone Soup,” tone as a tool to gain acess much needed rest room, ‘Gone with the Wind,’ the persnickety use of words, the coin of our willing suspension of disbelief, Joseph Campbell, ‘Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves,’ “death to mammoths,” our hardwired brains, a cranky audience, ‘Kick-Ass,’ shaggy dog stories, “Beam me up, Scotty” versus ‘I grok Spock,’ language as key to memory, getting into the head of a wild boar, Robert A. Heinlein, ‘The Dark Knight,’ and the fact that we don’t need to believe it to enjoy it. Back in the studio Al proposes the traveling university of SF conventions. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Dan Gurzynski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

Al & Herb catch up on old interviews and old technologies including subways, trolleys, elevated trains, busses, Buffalo mass transit, declining brick and mortar bookstores, and a lot more crankiness. Novelist S. C. Butler speaks of railroads, commuting, rubbing elbows, and the rare wonderfulness of New York City subways and trolleys. Two-time Campbell nominee Nick DiChario relates his experience as a bookstore owner away from the big block stores. He ponders the future of independent bookstores and the six dollar latte. Hugo & Nebula winning author Mike Resnick reminisces about his brief tenure as a publisher of mass-market paperbacks. He recalls the machinegun wars of distributors in the 1960s. Back in studio, Al & Herb discuss the changing nature of knowledge versus information, print books as a specialty item, digital rights, the approaching information singularity, and extreme focus. The fact-proof screen of the masses without the debunking influence of the –printed- word. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Dan Gurzynski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

======================Show #34 : w/ John DeChancie

10/30/10 BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS COLLECTING ON THE PATIO (31:23)

Novelist and screenwriter John DeChancie sits and chats with Al and Herb at Confluence. The conversation roams across Pittsburgh, Buffalo, the sweet smell of Los Angeles, ComiCon, Al’s attempts to get into the movies, talking the talk in Hollywood, a house in the desert, making a spider look sheepish, classical piano, Barry N. Malzberg, Nick DiChario, Mike Resnick, “print geeks rule”, Robert J. Sawyer, ‘Mars We Love You’, author garb, getting a rise out of writers, people who don’t get enough attention in their real lives, universal experiences, the decline of publishing, hellfire & brimstone, and real-life torture. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky & Dan Gurzynski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

Al & Herb have an extended conversation with Hugo, Nebula, WFA, and Sturgeon award-winning author Michael Swanwick. As the party evolves, they talk about “Foresight,” reversed consciousness, ‘Jack Faust,’ the shortest chapter ever, Fritz Leiber, flash fiction, abecedaries, The Sleep of Reason, Goya’s donkey, Clarion West, Tuckerization, Elaina the Man-hearted, winning his first Hugo, Jack Dann, Joe Haldeman, Samuel R. Delany, first moments with the big boys, telling Neil Gaiman stories, Terry Pratchett, signing autographs in China, the thatched hut of Thu Du, a tourist attraction for over a thousand years, it would be worth being fat if you could live in Chengdu, visiting the world, eventually getting some seniority, and a menagerie of pet peeves .

======================Show 31: w/ David & Ruth Kyle

7/9/10 THOSE OLD TIME CONVENTIONS (29:03)

In the third part of the David & Ruth Kyle interview they talk with Herb & Shannon Kauderer about old time SF conventions, conventions that once upon a time were all in one place, Harlan Ellison, the Ancient Honorable Order of St. Fantony, SUNY Potsdam, Wayne Brown, Astronomicon, John Flore, George Pal, 4:00 in the morning, actual projections, the Starfire Award, Heinlein’s unproduced television scripts, Heinlein’s beliefs on an early cosmonaut, Sam Moskowitz, a bomb shelter at the foot of NORAD, the Broadmoor, and Worldcon 2009. In the studio, Herb and Al Katerinsky go on to reminisce about Worldcon 2004, and Worldcon 1983, Connect-a-con, Marcon, Worldcon 1973, Fred Pohl, Terry Pratchett, Albacon, the sex life of the naked mole rat, singing doo-wop with Paul Levinson, big deal science fiction authors, and a big extended family of strange people. Recorded by Herb Kauderer. Feedback welcomed at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

======================Show #30: w/ David A. Kyle & Ruth Kyle

6/24/10 WHAT MAKES A FAN, A FAN? (39:07)David A. Kyle has been a seminal force in many areas of fandom, including science fiction literature, fantasy art, and adventure cartoon strips. In 1973 he was awarded the Big Heart Award for his fannish works, and he carries his own signature title as ‘the fan in the red jacket.’ He was featured in our March show and returns to talk about the first TV show –about- science fiction; fanzines; Lloyd Arthur Eschbach; understanding Heinlein; ‘A Pictorial History of Science Fiction,’ and ‘The Illustrated Book of Science Fiction Ideas & Dreams’; Tarzan and Tarzan movies; Hugo Gernsback; the first SF movies; and ‘Just Imagine’. Ruth Kyle joins in for conversation about the San Diego ComiCon; movies versus novels; Robert Silverberg; Larry Niven; and the last World SF Convention.

Novelists Bud Sparhawk and Walter Hunt, along with superfan Laurie Mann sit down at Confluence to talk with Herb about history and computers, and maybe even computer history.

Walter asks “where the hell’s my flying car”. The coffee klatsch talks about emerging IT, diverging IT, the space race, Skylab, and ground effect travel. They cover Erasmus of Rotterdam, Aristotle, and historic know-it-alls, and knowing things three miles wide and one inch deep. There are stories of a terrible beast with straps coming out its back and going to tape recorders, and writing a thesis on the evil pico line editor and printing it on a DECWriter III. The history of computers discussion covers usenet, antique compressors, computers made of coconuts, learning HTML, how the web changed the way news came to you, ARPANET, Gopher, Archie, Lycos, Fetch, pornography driving the advance of the internet, a whole copy of the internet every day, the internet on a floppy, John Brunner, ‘Stand on Zanzibar,’ the internet as a new form of publishing, or is it an old form rebooted? The discussion moves into the present and beyond with discussions of people in love with Roombas, the trouble with robots, the Caves of Steel, hand me that orgasmatron, newness exhausted by Boccacio, and the challenges of finding things that are new. After all that, Al explains to Herb in small words spoken slowly, what the hell was just said. Recorded by Herb Kauderer (in the field) and Dan Gurzynski (in studio). Feedback welcomed at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

David A. Kyle helped found science fiction fandom, attending the first ever convention, and the first World SF Convention. He later ran a WorldCon and was Fan Guest of Honor at the 41st WorldCon. In 1973 he was awarded the Big Heart Award for his fannish works, and he carries his own signature title as ‘the fan in the red jacket.’ Outside his work in fandom, David has been a publisher, illustrator, editor, and author having written two pictorial histories of science fiction, three authorized sequels to the Lensman books of ‘Doc’ Smith, and a variety of short fiction and short non-fiction. Orthopedic Horseshoes caught up with David and his wife Ruth with visitor Shannon Kauderer to talk about Marinade Dave, WPDM radio, winter, World SF Conventions, Mimosa, Amazing & Fantastic, Beefeaters, Sam Moskowitz, John W. Campbell, Horace L. Gold, the Hydra Club, and Isaac Asimov. Recorded by Herb Kauderer and Dan Gurzynski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

======================Show #26: w/ Phil & Fruma Klass

2/13/10: TENN TIMES THE KLASS (45:46)

Philip Klass, who wrote brilliantly as William Tenn, appeared on Orthopedic Horseshoes back in October 2008. On February 7, 2010 Phil passed away. In July 2009 Phil and his warm and wonderful wife Fruma hosted a Koffee Klatsch at the Confluence SF convention, and they were kind enough to let Orthopedic Horseshoes record it. Please join Herb Kauderer and Alan Katerinsky in listening to Phil & Fruma talk about the origins of their writing careers, Phil’s fondness for the novels of Calder Willingham, Fruma’s story “Jennifer’s Turn”, Phil’s book ‘Dancing Naked’ from NESFA Press, how crazy the future turned out, and Phil’s amazing experiences at the end of World War II at Bergen-Belsen. Recorded by Herb Kauderer and Dan Gurzynski, engineered (and much improved) by Dan Gurzyinski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.

======================Show #25: w/ Mike Resnick & Nick DiChario

1/8/10: NEVER PET A BURNING DOG (38:34)

Herb and Al chat with award-winning authors Mike Resnick and Nick DiChario about their collaborative collection ‘Magic Feathers’ and lots more. The guys muse on prize-winning collies, aggressive redheads named Thelma, Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, “The Elephants on Neptune”, the kick of writing, ‘Valley of Day-Glo’, Robert T. Jeschonek, Lezli Robyn, Ray Lafferty and the mystery of the missing Hugo, ‘Duck You Suckers’, mythology of the far future, ‘The Outpost’, ‘A Small and Remarkable Life’, “Mwalimu in the Squared Circle”, “Shaka II”, the ultimate job rejection letter, editorial conviction, endless ideas, and stopping delivery for a week. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Alan Katerinsky.

======================Show #24: w/ S. C. Butler & Frank Halvorsen

12/13/09: THOSE OLD ACE DOUBLES (26:28)

December celebrates Al surviving another semester of grad school. Herb sits down and talks with fantasy author S. C. Butler at Albacon 2009. SF fan, and damned fun guy, Frank Halvorsen wanders in to join the conversation about BookScan, e-book sales, loss leaders, the long tail effect of book marketing, why we own books today, our first SF books, those old Ace Doubles, A. Bertram Chandler, moving beyond the need for stairs never happens, on-line books, new entry parameters for publishing, print books at the top of the pyramid, databases for home book collections, e-books on the music industry model, the Pirate Bay trial, “capitalism, if unregulated, will eat itself,” breaking up AT&T, and enough already of “big government is bad.” Recorded by Herb Kauderer.

======================Show #23 w/ Josepha Sherman & Lois H. Gresh

11/10/09: DRUNKEN SQUIRRELS & CATS UNDER THE INFLUENCE (27:03)

Al & Herb visit the Astronomicon Science Fiction convention in Rochester NY, and sit down with Josepha Sherman and Lois H. Gresh. Lois is the New York Times Bestselling Author of 20 books. Josepha is a renowned folklorist, and bestselling author of many books including the recent ‘Vulcan’s Soul’ Trilogy in the Star Trek universe. What follows is a free-ranging conversation about ‘Alien Nation,’ vampire trends, the thumb theory of story, copy editors and the new comma, cloning really big dinosaurs as a food source, post-zombie fiction, neo-post-zombie fiction, drunken squirrels, cats under the influence, defective glue, the joy of being Mr. Ed, beer as the –cause- of culture, and the sexbad/violencegood media. The silly meter is high. Recorded by Herb Kauderer.

Al & Herb host a virtual con suite with remote guests recorded at WorldCon and Confluence 2009. Connie Willis talks about ‘Blackout’ and ‘All Clear,’ Tom Seay talks about the Alpha Writers’ Workshop, and Walter Hunt talks about ‘A Song in Stone.’ Herb and Al discuss current shadows of World War II; the time before time, or at least before our parents met; history becoming myth with the death of eye witnesses; the moon landing; Alan Bean’s art; and the residences of need and desire. Pete Grubbs debuts a new song, “Don’t Tread on Me.” Our guests tell us what makes them cranky, including bonus cranks by Michelle Sagara-West and Fruma Klass. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Alan Katerinsky.

======================Show #21 w/ John Scalzi & Michelle Sagara-West

09/08/09: VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AND THE LIQUID PSYCHE (31:08)

Al & Herb ramble about the badge of old age, grad school, and Confluence. Michelle Sagara-West talks about upcoming books. John Scalzi talks about the ideal length for a novel, Subterranean Press, other projects, and his next book. Scalzi cranks about writers’ attitudes about awards, especially the Hugo Award. Later he actually accepts a Hugo. Sagara-West cranks about the difference between publicity and an on-line community as exemplified by John Scalzi. Al and Herb debate virtual versus physical communities, the quality of experience, talking with voices versus keyboards, tribal cues, and finger gestures. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Herb Kauderer.

======================Show #20 w/ Bud Sparhawk

08/08/09: SAY NEBULA NOVELLA NOMINEE THREE TIMES FAST (29:43)

Three time Nebula nominee Bud Sparhawk joins Herb & Al at the Confluence SF convention to talk about the spiral rack at the drugstore, those messages that you’re really a writer, ‘Dangerous Visions’ as negative inspiration, a writing career interrupted, supply side vs demand side publishing, Analog stories, netbooks, the steam-driven laptop, Antaeus and the Bull Calf, zero-balance writing, writers’ chairs, the epic journey of the sale and publication of ‘Vixen,’ agentable ages, copy-editors, the patience to sell novels, an active community, the growth of centenarians, and the ramifications of the fact that the “don’t trust anyone over 30” crowd is 60. Recorded by Herb Kauderer.

======================Show #19 w/ Shannon Kauderer

07/09/09: TOUCHING AIR IS A LITTLE VAGUE FOR ME (31:12)

Herb & Al, along with special guest Shannon Kauderer talk gaming and more. They cover the recent E-3 gaming convention, Project Natal the controller-free game, the Bushmen of Africa, a virtual metal detector for the living room, the art in electronic arts, bobbing for French fries, the evolution of typing & video games, the virtual game cubical as locked room mystery, the approach of holodeck techonology, Loren D. Estleman as typist, a virtual trailer park, Hulu vs YouTube, cola wars, Tales of Symphonia 2: Dawn of the New World, the long tradition of fantasy time wasting, Gilligan’s Island, D&D, and the next thing in gaming. Recorded by Dan Gurzyinski.

======================Show #18 w/ FireEye

06/09/09: BADNESS ON THE INTERNET (28:13)

June celebrates Al’s completion of an amazing semester of grad school. Herb & Al discuss the information society, Shmoocon, that nobody does fraud like the Rumanians, and D-Day. The representatives of FireEye (Alex Lanstein & Julia Wolf) talk with Al about how a botnet works, bringing down the bad guys, distribution of IP addresses, drive-by stone throwings, FBI limitations, Estonians in southern California, spamming services, where the internet branches actually plug into each other, carrier hotels, the economic reality of spam, spam selling Viagra & Rolexes, and all other elements of the Srizbi Case. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski & Alan Katerinsky.

======================Show #17 w/ James Morrow & Michael MacAphee

05/10/09: WHEN CONVERSATION IS REPLACED BY CERTAINTY, WE’RE DOOMED (31:17)

May features the completion of Alan Katerinsky’s interview with James Morrow. They talk about ‘The Philosopher’s Apprentice’, artificial intelligence and ‘The Zombies of Montrose’, David Chalmers and ‘The Conscious Mind’, zombie twins, phenomenological life, SF writers of faith and the atheist tradition in SF, and Comenius’ grand dialogue of life. To complete the episode Herb Kauderer interview voice actor and audio scripter Michael McAfee about new radio theater, Dr. Demento, Firesign Theatre, Red Shift: Interplanetary Dogooder, The Fantastic Fate of Fredrick Farnsworth V, and Cerebus the voiceman. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer.

04/09/09: THE SADO-MASOCHISTIC THEORY OF STORY (28:46) For April, Orthopedic Horseshoes looks at the nature of story. Alan interviews James Morrow about the faith gene, Edward Harrison and ‘The Masks of the Universe,’ this demon-driven universe, a critique of modernity, and the ‘Principia Mathematica.’ Herb talks with Mary Turzillo and Geoffrey Landis about famous openings, falling asleep on ‘Jaws’, consequences, romance around the grill, Marlowe, Nietzsche, the appeal of horror, story engagement, the limitations of words, ‘The Crazy Years,’ the need for coherent narrative, the disintegration of political parties, and average citizens creating story. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer.

Dr. Ron Eskew joins Herb & Al to celebrate Darwin Day by talking about evolutionary psychology; philosophy’s debt to vintners; Dawkins, Persinger and electromagnetically induced analgesia; Ralph the sheepdog and Wile E. Coyote; self-domesticating dogs; a science of why is it? rather than what is it?; ‘Sperm Wars;’ what misshapen sperm does; practical uses for paranoia; psychology losing and finding its mind; middle-aged insomnia; the added-on-modules model of the mind; the mind as home entertainment center; the real reason guys think about sex so much; ‘Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation;’ experiments that will get you locked up; and Descartes’ ideal person with Freud’s answer. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

Herb & Al are back on the road. They talk with scientist/author Diane Turnshek about teaching young writers, first conventions, ‘Here Come the Brides,’ and other bad singing. Al talks with World Fantasy Award winning author James Morrow about epiphenomenon, really cool titles, ‘The Philosopher’s Apprentice,’ and ‘The Last Witchfinder.’ Herb talks with NASA scientist and Hugo Award winning author Geoffrey A. Landis, and poet Mary Turzillo about the nature of thought, Marvin Minsky, Joyce, Beckett, David Ives, rocket science, and memories of Hl Clement. James, Geoff, and Mary have all won the Nebula Award for writing short fiction. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky & Herb Kauderer.

Herb & Al try to capture the flavor of a Science Fiction convention by bringing clips from Confluence 2008. They discuss filking, science, socializing, the hospitality suite, “Betelgeuse Bridge,” and NESFA Press. The episode features Anne Cecil about starting a convention, William Tenn (Philip Klass) talking about Theodore Sturgeon, and Mary Turzillo about her poetry collections Your Cat & Other Space Aliens, and Dragon Soup. Herb & Al also crank on the presidential election, the Olympics, and more. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Alan Katerinsky.

======================SHOW #9: w/ Dr. David DeGraff

09/10/08 BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (30:12)

Alfred State's Dr. David DeGraff once again joins Al & Herb, this time to talk about big moons, icy bodies, easy ways to find life, habitable zones, organic gases, detecting life on Mars & Europa, the problem with naming exo-planets, making science sexy and profitable, the new Battlestar Galactica, and the internet as vehicle for email, music, & porn. Closing music by Mari MacNeil. Recorded by Dan Gurzyinski.

Herb, Al, and horror writer Edo van Belkom discuss people who are full of themselves, what a writer looks like, a tradition of pornography, social skills and fan conventions, feeling like Jesus, the Silver Birch Award, the long tail, self-judgment, and what the writer’s job should be. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

======================SHOW #6: W/ Dr. David DeGraff

06/09/08 ON THE FRONT LINES OF TEACHING SCIENCE (27:00)

Herb & Al chat with Dr. David DeGraff, the head of Astronomy at Alfred University about teaching the scientific method, student mis-priorities, cell phones, video games, physics envy, sorting out the sciences, unnoticed stars, self-selecting planets, and the key question: are we weird? Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

======================SHOW #5: w/ Robert J. Sawyer

05/09/08 THE AMERICAN CENTURY IS DEAD (30:30)

Herb, Al, & guest Robert J. Sawyer discuss gas prices & red herrings, a national vision for all mankind or at least for energy policy, loving America, the military draft, JFK’s legacy, Uncle Sam and the Tar Baby, and who really puts money in your pocket. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

======================SHOW #4: w/ Pete Grubbs

04/09/08 COWS IN THE LIVING ROOM 34:00

Farmer/musician Pete Grubbs kicks off a discussion of cows that tramples political correctness, and provokes PETA. Pete, Herb & Al try explaining American food, who hired Bush, and who should be shooting whom in America. Includes Pete’s live performances of “From Bakersfield to Compton” and “Hellhound.” Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

======================SHOW #3: w/ Bear Acks

03/09/08 WE WERE NOT THE FIRST TO MISBEHAVE ROMANTICALLY (25:26)

Herb & Al beat up the nature of aging, the hypocrisy of “Just Say No,” extended adolescence, looking younger than our parents, Diogenes the Cynic, agenda theory, Drunken Tribal Council, and the Death of Humor. Guest crank by Bear Acks. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.

======================SHOW #2: w/ Bear Acks

02/09/08 POTTER IS A COMFORT FOOD & OTHER FANTASIES (26:05)

Herb, Al, & Bear Acks crank through the myth of the ideal family, the creative process, and Terry Pratchett. They thumb their noses at sleep deprivation, over-scheduling, and product drop-ins. Join the rebellion. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.